work life balance in a digital age
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We have never been more connected to our jobs, and yet, we have never felt more dissatisfied with them. The millennial generation is seeking more fulfillment from working life, Google is introducing napping pods at its offices and younger workers are yearning for telework policies to provide them with the comforts of home while they attend to their jobs 24/7. All of these are indicators that we are craving balance in our lives and striving to figure out how to separate work and play in the midst of ambient connectivity. So herein lies the million dollar question, how does one achieve work-life balance in today's digital age?TRANSCRIPT
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By:
Flipbook Assignment Film 260: Digital Media Theory Professor Sidney Eve Matrix May 2014
“Welcome to the new world of work, where 5:30 p.m. is far from the end of the day.” Knowledge@Wharton, Time Magazine, 2012
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We now have the means to stay connected to our jobs
via smartphones, tablets and laptop computers
24/7
83% of professionals say they
check email after work Time Magazine, 2012
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2/3 professionals say they’ve taken
a work-related device, such as a smartphone or laptop,
with them on vacation
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Time Magazine, 2012
Technology may enable work-a-holism, but society encourages it
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“Being a successful member of middle class society is showing our
dedication to professional work and being
available at all hours of the day,”
- Carolyn Marvin, professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, 2012
we expect more from our jobs
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As technology allows work to play a more prominent role in our lives,
“as shown by Net Impact’s survey, they [millennials] are more concerned than their predecessors with finding happiness and
fulfillment in their work lives.”
-Jeanne Meister, Forbes Magazine
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Jeanne Meister, Forbes Magazine
Millennials also want more
flexibility from their jobs
and
the option to
telework from home
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“According to research by Future
Workplace,
flexible hours and generous
telework policies are even
more important to younger workers than is salary.”
Jeanne Meister, Forbes Magazine
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But are we, as humans,
designed to be working
every hour of the day?
In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Leslie Perlow found consultants at Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
who had regular downtime, reported greater satisfaction with their jobs
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Time Magazine, 2012
If digital technology
prompts us to bring work home, perhaps work-life balance in this
digital age requires
bringing downtime to work
Google’s offices have recently installed energy pods within the office for 20 or 30 minute breaks
Time Magazine
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Then again, perhaps work-life balance lies in knowing when to
detach from work
completely
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According to The Washington Post, the only country whose
productivity rivals that of the overworked United States, is
France.
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“Yes, France. Where workers enjoy 30 days of paid vacation every year… and a leisurely
stroll to the café after leaving work at a decent hour.”
Brigid Schulte, The Washington Post
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Indeed, multiple strains of research show that work-life
balance
increases efficiency among workers
“if you can’t get your work done in the standard
37 hours a week, you’re seen as inefficient.” Brigid Schulte, The Washington Post
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In Denmark,
So before becoming a busy bee, consider this:
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doesn’t mean we should
just because technology has enabled us to work 24/7,
Works Cited Knowledge@Wharton. "Why Companies Should Force
Employees to Unplug." Time Magazine 16 Feb. 2012, sec. Management & Leadership: http://business.time.com/2012/02/16/should-companies-force-employees-to-unplug/
Meister, Jeanne. "Job Hopping Is the 'New Normal' for
Millennials: Three Ways to Prevent a Human Resource Nightmare." Forbes Magazine 14 Aug. 2012, sec. Leadership: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-millennials-three-ways-to-prevent-a-human-resource-nightmare/
Schulte, Brigid . "U.S. productivity: Putting in all those
hours doesn’t matter." The Washington Post 14 May 2014, sec. PostTV: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/05/14/u-s-productivity-putting-in-all-those-hours-doesnt-matter/
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